But it just about went on to prove, yet again, that protecting copyright on YouTube was a Tom and Jerry game.

Chris Rock's opening monologue at the all-white Oscar event was a highly awaited; as soon as he finished his speech, clips were uploaded to YouTube. Though they played for sometime, Disney made sure they were taken down quickly.

But boycotting Dangal, which deals with empowerment of daughters, would be trickier for 'nationalists' than campaigning against SRK's mindless fare, Dilwale. It is a biopic of legendary wrestler Mahavir Phogat and deals with the accomplishment of his daughters, the Phogat sisters, who have made India proud.

You can expect Dangal makers to go on an overdrive to promote it as a nationalist movie.

By pushing for the Independence Day release they would be further hoping to blunt any call to boycott it.

Virat Kohli shows that he was as good with the mike as he was with the bat (video below)

February 29, 2016, NewsCrunch

After starring in the Friday win against Pakistan in Asia Cup, Virat Kohli outclassed other players in a singing duel at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Team India players had been invited to a post match dinner by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Dressed in formals, cricketers took the stage to showcase their non-cricketing talent. But the star of evening as in the field a little earlier was Virat Kohli; he showed that he was as good with the mike as he was with the bat.

Accompanied by a lady at the High Commission he sung Lata Mangeshkar’s Jo vaada kiya, getting the pitch and tune right. The man can sing, indeed!

Though fellow player Suresh Raina and team official Sanjay Bangar also picked up the mike, none was a match to Virat Kohli.

What’s more impressive, he was looking relaxed and seemed to love every moment of it.

A big change from his days with Anushka, when he was perpetually on the edge.

The filmmakers had reportedly shot a three-minute long kissing scene between Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapoor (video below)

February 29, 2016, NewsCrunch

Recent Bollywood movie Fitoor may have bombed in box office, but it continues to be in news for wrong reasons.

A video clip which shows the lead pair Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapoor locking lips has gone viral.

Uploaded on YouTube on February 12 it has generated nearly 700,000 views and continues to buzz.

The filmmakers had reportedly shot a three-minute long kissing scene between Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapoor. But they trimmed it fearing the Pahlaj Nahlani-led censor board, which had targeted steamy kissing in Spectre.

The suspect nanny reportedly walked on Moscow streets for an hour with the child’s head before she was caught (video below)

February 29, 2016, NewsCrunch

Moscow police have arrested a woman babysitter, who was found walking on a busy street, with the severed head of a child.

The woman Gyulchekhra Bobokulova was identified as a nanny and the child, a four year old girl, who was being looked after by the woman.

Graphic video footage shows the woman walking near the Oktyabrskoye Polye metro, dressed in all black. The woman is seen brandishing the head and pointing to the sky with her finger. She reportedly shouts "I am a terrorist."

Moscow police have gone on alert but said they are not treating the incident as a terror attack at the moment.

They have not found any explosives with the suspect, but have cordoned off the metro station to check for bombs in the area.

Media reports said the woman had been hired by the girl’s parents to baby sit her. She waited for them to leave the house before committing the ghastly murder and setting the apartment on fire.

Gyulchekhra Bobokulova is said to be from Uzbekistan. Police are probing her motive though some reports said she was drugged.

Horror video: Moscowshocked by woman babysitter held with severed head of child

Sitaram Yechury, who was then JNUSU president, read a memorandum describing the emergency sins and demanded Indira Gandhi’s resignation

February 29, 2016, NewsCrunch

An old black and white photo of JNU students, led by CPI leader Sitaram Yechury, and agitating in the presence of Indira Gandhi has surfaced.

The photo was published by The Hindustan Times, which ran an interview with Sitaram Yechury on Sunday. After the photo generated online interest, former JNU faculty member Chaman Lal gave its background.

Indira Gandhi had continued as chancellor as JNU even after losing post-emergency polls in 1977.

On September 5, 1977, JNU students marched to her residence demanding her resignation. She met them, smiling confidently.

Sitaram Yechury, who was then JNUSU president, read a memorandum describing the emergency sins and demanded her resignation.

The memorandum wiped off her smile, made her leave the meeting half way. She resigned as JNU chancellor after that.

Open groundin Bihar with candidates writing theirAmy recruitment exam, clad only in an underwear.

March 1, 2016, NewsCrunch

News agency ANI reports that a recruitment drive by Indian Army in Bihar made candidates write an exam in underwear to curb cheating.

The incident according to ANI occurred on Sunday in Muzzafarpur; around 1,150 candidates reportedly wrote the exam, which was held to recruit clerks in the army.

ANI also tweeted a photo of an open ground with candidates writing their exam clad only in an underwear.

If true, the incident is a violation of the dignity and human rights of the candidates. But ANI did not think it fit to dig a little more, speak to Army and candidates to confirm the story.

Earlier in the day, the story was broken by Pradesh 18, a Network 18 website. It carried a different picture of the same open ground with candidates writing their exam clad only in an underwear.

It said the candidates were directed to move to the grounds after removing their clothes including vests.

It also quoted the director of the recruitment board saying that the Army earlier had a bad experience while conducting exams. So, candidates had been asked to strip to avoid cheating during examinations, he added.

The director was not named.

An explosive story like this, which has the potential to become a political dynamite, needs better reporting. Army officials will have to be brought in discuss the photos, candidates would have to be interviewed, background information on the Army's earlier bad experience would have to be recalled.

Open groundin Bihar with candidates writing theirAmy recruitment exam, clad only in an underwear.

Pradesh 18 has a sketchy account of a Chapra candidate, who refused to strip and wrote the exam in gamcha and vest! So, was stripping optional?

Pradesh 18 puts the number of candidates, who wrote the exam at 11,000; while ANI says 1,150 wrote.

The reports and photos generated some heat on Twitter with some getting angry at the humiliation of candidates.

But some pointed out that candidates had been perhaps asked to write their exam after physical tests, which is also quite plausible as far as the guess works go.

@ani_news generally in Bihar army treats candidates as if thy were animals..thy don't hesitate to assault thm.gross human rights violation

The grainy video shows Dhoni bantering with his Ranchi friends, in a slightly shy but playful manner

March 1, 2016, NewsCrunch

An early video of most successful Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a must watch.

It shows him bantering with his Ranchifriends, in a slightly shy but playful manner.

The video was probably taken just before he made it big – you can see him in the longish hairstyle he came with when he made his international cricket debut.

It is obvious that none of his friends had any inkling that Dhoni would go on to win two World Cups and become one of the most richest and famous sportsmen of our times.

There was a reason to.

Growing up in a lower middle-class family in Ranchi, Dhoni took to cricket only after 10th standard. His wicket keeping skill and ball hitting ability got him a slot in Bihar’s Ranji team, which also got him the job of a ticket collector in the Indian Railways.

Between 2001 and 2003, that is till 13 years ago, Dhoni was in this job of checking tickets wearing a black coat, which must have sounded like a big break for the lad from Jharkhand. But his wheels of fortune would continue to turn.

The video uploaded in 2009 has been viewed by nearly one million times.

Dhoni and his Ranchifriends – Early video shows cricketer before his rags-to-riches story began (watch video)

Preity and Gene also reportedly plan to marry in India in Rajput style a little later.

March 1, 2016, NewsCrunch

The first photo of the just married couple Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough has surfaced.

No, it is not a photo of their wedding, which they want to auction for charity, according to some media reports.

But it is the first colour photo of Gene and the first photo ever showing the couple together sharing a private moment.

A senior UScorporate executive Gene has been dating Preity for at least two years. A highly private person, he has managed to keep the cameras away. The only public photo has been available of him is a black and white mug shot posted on his LinkedIn account.

The photo above was published by Miss Malini, which it said was sourced from Facebook. It also quoted Filmfare saying Gene and Preity married on Monday.

Though there has been no announcement of any sort, Filmfaresaid two of Preity’s best buddies, Sussanne Khan and Surily Goel, are in Los Angeles. That is taken as confirmation of the wedding.

Preity and Gene also reportedly plan to marry in India in Rajput style a little later.

CCTV footage shows Sunil Mahadik arguing with Geveriya and then delivering a blow with his lathi (video below)

March 1, 2016, NewsCrunch

Shiv Sena has sacked its youth wing member Sunil Mahadik, who was caught on camera assaulting a shop keeper, demanding free vada paav.

The CCTV footage of Sunil Mahadik hitting Chetan Geveriya with a lathi was aired by a few TV channels in Maharashtra.

Mahadik had allegedly sent an assistant to Trupti Sweet and Farsan Mart Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, asking for free vada paavs. When the shop declined to make the supply, he went with a lathi and got into an argument with Geveriya, who works there.

The CCTV footage shows him arguing with Geveriya and then delivering a blow with his lathi.

Quoting a source close to Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray PTI reported that Mahadik had been sacked on Monday.

Smriti Irani reportedly objected to Lt Gen Shah’s presence when he entered the room and asked why he had come.

March 1, 2016, NewsCrunch

The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah, has denied a report that Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani humiliated him at a meeting in January.

But Milli Gazette, which broke the story, categorically says it stands by its report.

Lt Gen Shah, a three star general, retired as the deputy chief of Indian Army.

Smriti Irani is reportedly against the AMU’s decision to set up five centres across the country and wants to shut them down. The Kerala government has already allotted 345 acres in Mallapuram and is concerned over the delay in setting up the centre.

A delegation of top Kerala politicians led by Chief Minister Ooman Chandy met Smriti Irani on January 8 to press for early clearance of the centre.

According to Milli Gazette, Smriti Irani objected to Lt Gen Shah’s presence when he entered the room and asked why he had come.

Lt Gen Shah replied that he had come at the invite of the Kerala CM.

She got angry and snubbed him by allegedly saying: “Who pays your salary? Kerala CM or the HRD Ministry? Go back and sit in your room!”

The humiliated VC exited the room quickly and a stunned Chandy looked on in disbelief, reported Milli Gazette.

Smriti Irani also told the Kerala delegation that the VC had overshot his powers in proposing to set up the AMU centres. She also said she would shut down the centres and asked Kerala to take back the land at Mallapuram.

The Quint did a follow-up to the story on Tuesday. Lt Gen Shah said he was not present at the meeting but somewhat ambivalently asked to reporter to check with the Kerala Chief Minister’s office, which declined to comment.

The VC further confirmed that Smriti Irani was against the AMU centres but said he intended to push forward.

But Milli Gazette told The Quint that it was standing by its story and was ready to face any official commission of enquiry.

It said the report did not intend to insult Lt Gen Shah because such a behaviour only demeans the person committing it…